Library

Database describing FEMA preparedness webinars including natural hazard preparedness.

Webpage describing steps homeowners can take to prepare their home and car for winter storms.

Webpage describing steps homeowners can take to prepare their home and car for winter storms.

Fact sheet describing how to prepare for a natural disaster and assemble a disaster supply kit.

Fact sheet poster describing an online tool offered within the Building America Solution Center which provides construction guidance for builders and contractors in building and renovating homes to be more resistant to natural disasters such as hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes and wildfires, etc.

Website describing methods for homeowners to prepare their homes to withstand ember attacks and minimize the likelihood of flames or surface fire touching the home or any attachments.

Article describing the efforts of the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations to restore and preserve the U.S. State Department’s historic and culturally significant diplomatic facilities overseas.

Webpage providing guidance for homeowners on how much snow weight a typical roof can handle and when to consider removing snow from the roof.

Article describing how ice dams form on residential roofs, how they damage homes, and solutions to prevent future dams.

Fact sheet from Wisconsin Focus on Energy explaining how to prevent future ice dams on homes by learning about their formation and mitigation of contributing factors.

Database of approved products that meet the requirements of the High Velocity Hurricane Zone.

Report containing data on injuries and fatalities associated with television, furniture, and appliance product instability, or tip-over incidents.

Case study describing the External Thermal and Moisture Management System developed by the NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership for retrofitting roofs with rigid foam over the roof deck, especially on one and a half-story homes.

This page provides important information on how to protect yourself and your family if you suspect that you might have vermiculite insulation from Libby, Montana.

Website from the EPA containing information for homeowners and renters about how to identify asbestos in the home and how to deal with it to reduce exposure to it.

Report covering reducing risk from flooding.

List of recommendations from IBHS on how to protect homes from ice dam formation.

Brochure describing multiple earthquake safety measures for homeowners to take, including home reinforcement, evacuation tips, and electrical and appliance tips.

Brochure describing multiple flood safety measures for homeowners to take, including home renovation suggestions, yard maintenance, and additional resources.

Brochure describing multiple storm surge (coastal flooding) safety measures for homeowners to take, including home renovation suggestions, yard maintenance, and recovery advice.

Report providing wildfire protection guidance for homeowners in California.

Brochure describing multiple earthquake safety measures for homeowners to take, including home reinforcement, exterior maintenance, and recovery tips.

Guide describing flood protection measures for utility systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fuel.

Recovery Advisory document provide guidance related to the use and installation of opening protection systems to protect glazed openings (windows) from wind-borne debris during high-wind events.

Report about seven pilot homes and development of guidelines for deep energy retrofits in cold climates.

Webpage describing how to elevate major appliances in case of a flood.

Information sheet about how to reduce thermal bridging in walls.

Report presenting ways public housing authorities (PHAs) can develop packages of energy efficiency retrofit measures the PHAs can cost-effectively implement with their own staff in the normal course of housing operations at the time when units are refurbished between occupancies.

Report aiming to "de-mystify" technology and economic considerations of residential PV systems.

Report designed to help a builder understand quality management and its role in transitioning from conventional to HPH building and remodeling.

Article describing how structural screws can be used to provide resistance to wind uplift in buildings.

Website providing an online calculator for determining energy and cost savings from installing radiant barriers in attics.

Fact sheet describing analysis of potential heating and cooling savings from radiant barriers in attics.

U.S. Department of Energy's website describing radiant barriers in homes.

Website with answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about attic radiant barriers.

Website explaining the risks associated with radon in homes and how to protect homes against radon.

Standard providing information on contractors who offer radon control services to homeowners.

Website with information about radon-resistant construction techniques and other radon resources for builders, contractors and homebuyers.

Worker guidance from EPA, HUD, NIH, and OSHA for radon issues following a natural disaster.

Fact sheet describing design and construction practices to reduce the likelihood of water intrusion in walls and foundations in residential construction.

Document covering basic moisture control principles in the design of above-grade building enclosures; driving rain as a moisture load on walls; a classification system of the various rain control strategies available for walls; and good design practises for walls.

An example of a form a building codes department created to ensure builders are fully aware and have taken steps to provide drainage so that water doesn’t accumulate behind siding. This example is from the city of Newberg, Oregon.

Report covering the performance of residential buildings during three hurricanes impacting Florida in 2004.

Flyer describing reasons and best practices for raising electrical systems above flood-levels.

Information sheet with the definition and uses for a raised truss.

Illustrations of range tip-over outcomes with and without door locking mechanism.

Report showing how to identify, inventory, and screen buildings that are potentially hazardous because of seismic hazards.

Searchable database of over 3,000 roofing products that have undergone solar reflectance and thermal emittance testing.

Searchable database of wall cladding and coating products that have undergone solar reflectance and thermal emittance testing.